Authors: D. Hamilton-Reed
Jameson was driving an old jeep and they loaded up their luggage first, and Royce rode with him to drop it off and Jameson would come back for them. After they left Big John said, “Are you sure he’s on the up and up?”
“Royce trust him,” she’d never met the man until the night she saw him in her house cleaning up dead bodies and then he was in a suit, his hair pulled back in a blonde ponytail.
“Hmmmm,” Big John said. They were suppose to drop them off and keep going, that was the instruction from Jameson, but when he came back for her and made room for Deon, “He’ll ride with us,” Big John said and she saw Jameson give a small smile, and hop in the driver’s seat.
But when she got to the house it was beautiful. He’d rented a large light blue beach house, it was gorgeous, right on the beach and off to itself. Royce was already getting comfortable and unpacking their clothes when she came in, “Hey love,” he said when she walked in holding Christopher, “Hey babe, this is nice isn’t it?” It was a classic beach house with white wicker furniture, sea shells as decorations, white linen curtains billowing in the ocean breeze, “Oh yeah, I think we’ll be safe here, it’s out here all by itself. Jameson said this is our private beach.”
Two bedrooms were downstairs and Royce was in the largest the master suite putting away clothes. The family room opened to the beach, it had large wooden doors inlaid with square panes of glass from top to bottom, the doors were open wide now letting in the breeze. Joy turned when she heard the jeep on the gravel driveway.
Big John grabbed his and Lanie’s bags like they were here to stay awhile. And once everyone was comfortable they sat down to talk. Big John wanted to know everything.
“I’m sorry but for your safety and for Lanie I can’t tell you. All I want you to know is they are safe and I will not leave until I know everything is okay…and also and this is the most important thing for both of you. Do not and I repeat do not tell anyone you brought them here. We don’t know who these people are, we don’t know what they’re capable of, so no casual conversations around the water cooler about dropping your sister off in Jamaica, you don’t know who they bought off. This trip never happened. The trip you took was a boating trip for the two of you to spend some time alone. However you want to spin it, just tell the same story, but Mr. and Mrs. Harrington were never on that boat, are we clear?”
“Yes,” they agreed, and Jameson tapped his index finger on the table, “And if you happen to get a visitor trying to coerce it out of you I pray to god you are strong enough to not spill it or you put Mrs. Harrington and the little boys in jeopardy,” Joy saw Lanie and Big John’s eyes get big, “Are you thinking that?” “I don’t put anything past anyone,” and she saw Lanie eyes fill with tears, “You promise you can keep them safe?” She asked softly, “I can and I will… but I’m counting on you two to keep this quiet. I wasn’t expecting you to know so much, but you’re here and I wasn’t expecting you at all,” he nodded at Lanie, “But that’s okay it makes it more believable that your boyfriend would bring you so no worries,” and Big John smiled. He liked being called Lanie’s boyfriend.
“And I know this is going to sound rude, but I need you to make this a quick visit, I don’t want people recognizing you and associating you together with them. Trust me it’s not to offend, it’s for your safety, if you’re recognized with them then you might as well come with us or they will find you and interrogate you. This is a dangerous thing we’re dealing with here, you need to understand that,” Jameson said and after he’d terrified and scared the hell out of them he said, “But for tonight relax, enjoy each other’s company because you won’t be seeing each other until this thing is over.” They nodded in dumfounded silence, scared to say anything, “I’ve got work to do so have fun,” he got up and left, and they were too stunned for a few moments to do anything but sit there.
They came out of their trance when the kids came running in, “Is it okay to go to the beach now?” “Oh yeah,” Joy said, “Let’s get your swim suits.” Jameson had scared the shit out of her, not only was her life in jeopardy but the people who associated with her. The people trying to find her could hurt them to get to her, that scared her thinking of her parents, Lanie and Big John for helping them.
Oh god, what have we gotten into,
she thought and wiped tears as she put on the boys swimsuits.
Somehow they managed to make a night of it though. They swam in the clear blue Caribbean water and lit the fire pit on the beach and roasted marshmallows, the kids loved that. After she bathed the kids and put them to bed the adults took bottles of beer and sat out at the beach by the fire pit. It was gorgeous at night, just like on the boat, the moon shining bright and shimmering off the water, and Joy loved hearing the sounds of waves serenely lapping in and out.
“Joy I’m scared for you, this is bullshit!” Lanie said, “Just bullshit!” She wiped her eyes. “I’m scared to Lanie, what if something happens to you, Big John or mom and daddy? I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to any of you,” Joy said her eyes tearing up. “Royce why couldn’t you stop this? Is it that crazy ex-wife of yours?” Lanie demanded, and Royce knew they knew too much. Jameson was right this wasn’t good. He looked at her, he could see her anger from the light of the fire. “Tammy is in on this somewhere, mark my word on that! But who she's hired and how we don't know!” He said angrily, “And you are right it’s such bullshit!” He was angry, this was bullshit! He got up and walked away.
He walked down the beach, he needed his rowing machine and sit up contraption. Right now he needed to punish his body, push it beyond its limits. He stepped out of his flip flops and started running, just running down the beach, he couldn’t see and it felt like he was cutting his feet to shreds, but he didn’t care. He ran and ran and ran, and then he heard her.
“Royce! Royce!” And before he knew it Joy was running beside him. “I need to run too, let’s go baby,” and they ran side by side breathing hard until they couldn’t take another step. With their sides heaving and taking in big gulps of air they stopped and paced around to catch their breath and when they felt better Joy went to him and he went to her. She clung to him and he clung to her, both let the tears flow, she didn’t try to stop hers and he didn’t try to stop his. They held on to each other and cried against the other, and when they’d cried enough they wiped their eyes the best they could, and with their arms around each other they walked back toward their stretch of beach like lovers on a stroll, and like lovers occasionally they stopped to kiss and touch each other, and a couple of times he pulled her top aside and sucked her, hungrily sucked her, filling his need with her. She kissed him just as hungrily and felt him up, she reached inside his trunks to touch and caress him. They didn’t say too much, nothing needed to be said. This hurt, this was painful. What they were going through hurt, hurt them both.
When they arrived back at the beach, the fire was burning low and Lanie was sitting on Big John’s lap. He was holding and soothing her, her head against his shoulder, “It’s okay Lanie, they’ll be alright, we’ll be okay too,” they heard him saying as they walked quietly up to them. “We’re okay Lanie, really we are,” Joy said, she wasn’t sure that was true but for now they were. Lanie looked up. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to…,” she jumped up and ran to them and hugged them, “Don’t pay any attention to me Royce…I know if you could have stopped this you would have…I know that, I know that,” she said and hugged him, “I’m sorry.” Big John and Lanie could see they’d been crying and their hearts ached for them. “We’re going to bed, this has been a long day,” Joy said and walked hand in hand with Royce up their new home, and when they reached the back patio they saw Jameson standing there with binoculars around his neck watching them, and both realized they had no idea when he’d gotten back.
They were attached at the hip, neither wanted to let the other go, they turned on the shower and showered together, washing off the sand and sweat, touching, kissing, wanting the other to know how much they loved them, their touches and kissing saying, “We’re together in this, we’ll get through this together,” and when they were done Royce took her hand and led her to the bed and they were finally able to touch, feel, kiss and love to their fulfillment they released and let themselves go.
The next day after breakfast Lanie and Big John said their goodbyes. They hugged each other tight, neither knowing when the next time they’d see each other again, and the sisters couldn’t control their tears, and Jameson drove them to the marina and when he got back he said, “Don’t get to comfortable here, this is just a stop,” and Royce and Joy’s mouths dropped. “We're not staying here?” Royce asked, “Oh no, we have to hide deeper and further than this. I’ll have everything ready in a few days,” he smiled at them, “Just hang low and have fun.”
So that’s what they did. Royce even found his flip flops in the sand a ways down the beach, he walked the beach hand and hand with Joy, the children running all over the place helping Lindsey collect seashells and he discovered that’s what he’d stepped on as he ran the first night. They hung out at the beach mostly, “Wow, look at how clear the water is?” Joy said shading her eyes as she looked out at the expanse of clear blue water. “It’s like a swimming pool isn’t it mommy,” Lindsey exclaimed. The Jamaican water was clear chlorine blue, and the kids marveled at how they could see all the way to the bottom and still see their feet. In the shed they found everything beach fun anyone could think of, wave gliders with colorful sails, wave runners, ready for them to hop on and ride far, surfboards which was a real treat for them to try, flippers, snorkel gear and they used all of it. They rode the wave gliders and hung on for dear life as the wind caught the sails. They lathered themselves from head to toe with bug repellent since the mosquitoes were relentless and lit the fire pit every night and roasted marshmallows, hot dogs, corn on the cob and made smores. They had fun waiting for Jameson and they were as brown as berries, even Royce had a nice tanned glow to him and after three days Jameson came to them, “Everything is all set, but first we have to disguise you two.”
Jameson took Royce in the bathroom. He slicked back his hair with mousse and pasted on a mustache, then poured something that looked like powder in his hands and ran it through Royce’s hair and on his mustache and instantly he had grey streaks. “Oh,” Joy said, he looked so different without his signature hair style. “Here put this on,” Jameson said and gave Royce a dress shirt and tie, he stood him against the wall and took his picture. “Okay now you Mrs. Harrington,” Jameson stood and faced Joy. He looked intensely at her and it was like he was seeing her for the first time. He’d never looked at her like this, up close and personal, she was a stunning woman. Joy watched him looking at her, she didn’t like when people paid attention to her. There was nothing special about her she knew that, Lanie was the beautiful one and Sylvie was the smart one that’s why she was a doctor. But her she was just Joy, and that soft vulnerable look came into her dark eyes. And Jameson felt this sudden urge to protect her, to take her in his arms and hold her.
Royce watched him watching her, and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable, this wasn’t going to work if Jameson was attracted to her. He couldn’t have him wanting Joy, and suddenly Jameson threw his hands up, “I don’t know what to do with you, I thought I had a plan…but you’re too pretty for that…I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” he laughed and so did they. “Well what were you going to do with me?” Joy asked. “I was going to have you disguised as a Jamaican mother traveling with her kids, but you don’t look harassed enough,” he said smiling.
“Well can you make me look harassed? I mean look what you did for Royce he looks like an old man,” she laughed and said. “I’ll try but your…skin is too…too perfect,” and Royce smiled. He’d always thought that too, she had the most beautiful skin. “Okay, but with you traveling with kids I have to do something.” “Well what’s the plan?” Royce asked. “Well I was going to have you, me and Justin travel together in first class. We were here on vacation now we’re going home, and Mrs. Harrington I was going to have her be a local starting a new life abroad. She would travel with the other children but look like an islander, and I’m sorry Mrs. Harrington you’ll have to fly coach. We can’t be seen together or look like we know each other.”
“What no! I’m not flying first class while the rest of my family is in coach,” Royce understood what Jameson was trying to do, but it looked racist to him. The white men could pass flying in first class. They wouldn’t be noticed or cause suspicion they could afford it, but the black woman might. “Mr. Harrington we have to separate, it’s the only way.” “That’s fine, we can fly separately, but either we’re all in first class or all in coach. I won’t have it any other way Jameson,” he said firmly. “Okay Mr. Harrington, but that makes it more difficult…” “I don’t care we’ll handle it,” Royce said. “Okay, then a harassed Jamaican mother you are Mrs. Harrington,” he sat her down and put dark smudges under her eyes and pulled her hair back in a ponytail and Joy was surprised he was so adept at this. They really had no idea the disguises Jameson could do and the ones he’d pulled off over the years or she might remember a certain gas company man standing at her door.
He stood her against the wall and snapped her picture and Royce understood what he meant, those dark smudges didn’t look like they belonged, her skin was too perfect, she was too well cared for to have dark circles, it just didn’t go together. Jameson took the children’s picture next, “I think I’m all set, start packing Mrs. Harrington, we’ll be leaving in a few days,” and he was out the door.